Daniel Salião Ferreira has created a lightbulb that is powered by fire and ice, showcasing the Seebeck effect in action.
The Seebeck effect generates voltage when there is a temperature difference, which is key to how thermoelectric generators work.
While the concept of creating power from waste heat is not new, doing this with thermocouples has proved difficult due to their lower power output; however, this can be increased using Peltier devices, which utilise semiconductors to achieve better performance.
Ferreira’s fire and ice lightbulb uses a Peltier effect cooler to generate the necessary power, and the project is explained in more detail via this instructable.
